Plain and Simple
by julesss
Summary: Dee Collins has now entered her Fifth Year at Hogwarts and is beginning to branch out. She's stepping outside of her comfort zone, so to speak. And of course, the results (or perhaps consequences?) are a messy variety of emotions, colors, facial expressions, sheets of parchment, and snogs. What more would you expect from the girl who sits quietly, accompanied only by a book?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** hi so I'm new here but I've been working on this for ages and... yes. Here it is.

**Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling is the brilliant mastermind behind the wizarding world in which I write the goings-on of this story. Anything you may recognize isn't mine and never will be, no matter how many wishes I make for that to be the case.

* * *

**Fifth Year, First Day (Of Many)**

* * *

Dee Collins was simple, sweet, and to the point, much like her name. In hindsight, she should've seen that coming; her parents, the kind who had a no-nonsense policy, didn't put up with anything unnecessary unless it involved her brother. So naturally, she was raised accordingly, yet gave the word "simple" a new meaning.

She liked to believe being a Ravenclaw was reason enough to bury herself in books and parchment. It wasn't that Dee didn't have friends, she just preferred silent company. She left the bloody extensive amounts of gossip Hogwarts offered each year untouched, choosing instead to search the library for either an enticing Muggle fiction novel or a thrilling tale of a wizard and his bravery.

Needless to say, her past four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were either spent in Ravenclaw Tower, the Great Hall, the library, or a classroom. That was it, really, and she didn't expect much more than the usual in her remaining years. However, in the weeks before her fifth year began, she received a Prefect badge in the post. Dee had been ecstatic, and still is, save the fact that she'd have less time on her own.

But this was her fifth year. O.W.L.'s were coming up, as was the prospect of many delicious feasts. What's not to enjoy?

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

"Do you mind if I take this seat? There aren't many left, and you seem like the least likely to bite," joked a friendly and decidedly male voice. Dee lifted her head, raising the curtain of long, silky hair that shielded her refined face from view, and met the eyes of a familiar boy. Albus Potter's face displayed a warm smile as he stood at the end of her table.

"I don't mind at all, and I certainly don't bite," she replied with ease. "Hexing, on the other hand… Well, you might want to keep your eyes peeled."

Albus threw his head back and released a heartening laugh. He set his schoolbag on the ground and slid into the usually unoccupied seat beside Dee.

The first of many changes: a classmate joining her.

Today was the first day of lessons, and Dee's timetable for the year included nine subjects. This morning consisted of Charms and Arithmancy until lunch, and then she had Transfiguration, a free, and Potions. Those, along with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Muggle Studies, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Herbology, were spread throughout the week. Her lessons were spaced quite pleasantly, which was a relief. There isn't much worse than having stock filled days and feeling overwhelmed.

"Morning, Al," a voice, female this time, sang. Dee caught a flash of red in the corner of her eye. Rose Weasley had joined her- or rather, Dee reminded herself, Rose joined Albus Potter, who just so happened to be right next to her. The seats adjacent to her weren't empty- not today, at least. Rose plopped into the seat beside Albus, two down from Dee's, and ran a hand through her fiery, untamed hair. "I've about had it up to _here_," she pointed at her eye level, "with your brother. He's such an arse!" she bellowed.

To Dee's surprise, Albus casually leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Has it taken you this long to notice that? Why, Rosie, you were supposed to be the genius in the family," he mocked.

"What, like you're the comedian?" she retorted. Albus shook his head in amusement. "I was just saying James is being an _utterly insufferable-_"

"And the brain is back," Albus muttered.

"_-prat_ and I don't understand how you live with him! How do you do it?" She looked at him with wide, exasperated eyes, either not hearing his comment or choosing to ignore it.

"Just ignore, smile, and nod. That's all there is to it, really," Albus replied. To Dee, he said, "I'm sorry, but I've just realized I don't know your name."

"Oh," she stammered, taken aback by his politeness. "I'm Dee."

"Short and sweet; I like it," Rose stated favorably. "I'm Rose. I hope you don't mind me sitting here," she added.

"I don't mind at all," Dee replied, feeling much like she did just a few minutes ago (you know, when she said the same words to Albus. It's quite funny how that works out, eh?).

* * *

"That was positively riveting," Rose remarked, her bored voice coming from Dee's left. They had just left Transfiguration, which coincidentally, the three students had together as well as Charms.

"Well it is the first day back," she reminded Rose. "The professors can't possibly expect us to be focused enough to start working full speed, so they might as well make good use of the time and warn us of our impending doom."

"'Impending doom'?" Albus repeated.

"Our O.W.L.'s are this year, or did you not get that from practically every lesson today?" Dee asked with her eyebrows raised. When he didn't reply, she said, "Well I've got a free, so I guess I'll see you around."

"I have one too! You can join me in the library, if you like," Rose offered.

Flustered, Dee stumbled over her words. "Um, I think, uh, I think I'll just go back to Ravenclaw Tower. Maybe another time." She gave a small wave in goodbye and scurried off towards her dormitory, laden down by her books and schoolbag.

* * *

**Family Ties**

* * *

While Dee Collins was content with watching from the sidelines, her brother had to be in the heat of the moment. Lee, his name much simpler than his personality (dissimilar to Dee, who thought her name suited her quite well), had an air of security about him, a very rare find in this day and time. He attracted people, drew them in, and charmed his way into their hearts. It was this cunning and resourceful quality that got him into Slytherin, not a bad reputation or a supposed lack of conscience. Lee was a decent bloke; while he had a lengthy list of admirers, he didn't take advantage of them.

He was also very protective of his sister, considering how different she was compared to him; most people couldn't tell they were related until they took a good look. Dee and Lee both inherited soft features, along with dark brown hair. What set them apart (besides the obvious differences in character), however, were their eyes. Dee's were an frosty, muted blue that pierced through whatever was held in their gaze from afar, much like her father's, while Lee's warmer hazel ones, almost identical to his grandfather's, were perhaps the most trusting feature of his face.

Many others of the siblings' attributes were opposite each other. If Dee was plain, Lee was lavish; if Dee was studious, Lee was reckless; if Dee was alone, Lee was surrounded.

It was a big surprise to many how well they got along.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

Dee cracked open her latest acquisition, some Muggle fiction novel about a group of boys way back in the 1960's. It seemed relatively untouched, because hardly anyone goes into the Muggle author section of the library (which she thinks is a shame, really).

A figure sat down across the table, interrupting her concentration and pulling her back into reality. "How was your first week back, dearest Dee?" her brother joshed, taking a piece of buttered toast from her plate.

"It was tremendously terrific," was Dee's deadpan reply.

"Have you made any new friends? Enemies?" he asked, that blasted sly grin never fading from his face. "Is there a bloke I need to punch the lights out of?"

"No, Lee," she sighed. "There will be no need for that."

"No need for what? Is he bothering you, Dee?" Albus asked warily, having suddenly appeared out of thin air (but that's impossible; everyone knows- or should know- that you can't Apparate to or from Hogwarts!). He eyed her brother and said, "Hello, Lee."

"Hello." Lee's eyes narrowed in his sister's direction. "We'll talk about this later, Dee."

Once he was gone, Albus turned to Dee. "What was _he_ doing over here with you?" She didn't like the mild disgust in his tone, but knew she had to accept it. While Dee is sure Mr. and Mrs. Potter raised their children well, there is no way of stopping the formation of house rivalries, especially when Quidditch is included (considering both Albus and Lee are on their respective house teams). But before she could respond, another voice joined the conversation.

"Al, what are you doing at the Ravenclaw table? And why was Lee Collins just with you?"

Startled, Dee spun around to see who this new guest was. She should've known it'd be James Potter, based on Albus' uninterested expression, but she was surprised nonetheless.

"I was visiting Dee, James. As for Lee, I don't really know what he was doing. In fact, Dee was about to explain just that." Albus and James both focused expectant gazes on her.

"Lee's my brother." Dee watched as understanding flitted across Albus' face. "He was, in his way, checking up on how I've been faring. He is the older out of the two of us, after all."

"I never knew he- sorry, I never knew you were his sister." Albus corrected his blunder, but it wasn't anything she hadn't heard before.

"Most people don't."

"Well anyways," James cut in, "I came over to remind you of Quidditch tryouts tomorrow, Al. You'll need to be there. And now that I have, I'll be going. Beth's waiting for me. See ya, Al- and, uh, Dee." He waved and trotted out of the Great Hall.

"Who's Beth?"

"No idea. But I should probably get going too," Albus said, standing up from his temporary spot at the Ravenclaw table. "I'll see you later, Dee."

Left alone and in peace again, she picked up her book and tuned back out of the present.

* * *

**The Authoritative Gene**

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Collins worked in the Ministry of Magic. Dorothy resided in the Improper Use of Magic Office, within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Dee felt her mum's job was a very stereotypical route to have taken, and sometimes had to stifle laughter at dinner because of the irony of it all. Just the thought of her uptight, practical, dreary mum sending letters about using magic inappropriately, seeking to live her dream of putting a stop to the unnecessary evils of the magical world, was enough to make anyone who knew her crack a smile at the very least.

However, Dee loved her mother very much, for she wouldn't be alive without her (or her father, for that matter).

Dee's dad, Jude, was not nearly as tense and ambitious. To put it simply, Jude was cool (much like his name, as apparently everyone in the Collins family was, if you forget about Lee- which people tend to do). He too didn't tolerate excessive rule breaking or mischief, but was considerably more lenient than his wife, at least when it came to their children. He worked in the Department of Magical Transportation, which Dee thought was bloody cool. To be fair, Dee thought everything pertaining to her father was cool.

Now bearing in mind the occupations of Dee Collins' parents, and her own morals, it was only logical that Dee was made a Prefect.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

She was searching for Clive Donoghue, the Head Boy, because Dee needed to sort out the nights she was scheduled for patrol and whatnot. She supposed the issue could wait for when it was actually convenient, but Clive was definitely easy on the eyes so she didn't see the problem in venturing far from her dormitory.

"Dee?" She stopped short, whirling around at the sound of her name. "What brings you out here? I thought you, of all people, would be stuffed away in the library with dusty old books," Clive teased.

"What, I can't wander outdoors?" Dee played along.

"Well, I'd certainly be less suspicious if you were by the lake or something, but the Quidditch pitch?" he responded. "You haven't got a crush on Albus Potter, have you?" he asked, taking a guess as to why she was out and about. "The two of you seem pretty friendly."

Dee didn't really know what to say. Was Clive still teasing, or did he actually care? And why would it matter if she was friends with Albus Potter? "I like him well enough, as a friend. But anyways, I-"

"Oh, hey, I've got to head to tryouts. We'll talk later, yeah?" Clive interrupted, already jogging off.

Dee indignantly crossed her arms, and though Clive couldn't see her, she made a face at his retreating figure. So much for that.

* * *

**A/N: **So I've realized I use a lot of those horizontal bar things... Oopsie daisy. I hope you enjoyed chapter 1! Stick around maybe?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **HOLY GUACAMOLE YOU GUYS ARE FANTASTIC pls read end notes ill talk more there i hope you enjoy this

**Disclaimer:** Again, whatever you may recognize isn't mine; it's most likely J.K. Rowling's and in now way, shape, or form am I attempting to steal her work(s of art). Dee, Lee, Clive, Gilley, Jude, Dorothy, and whoever else you've never heard of before this story are mine. MInE aLL miNE (i'm just messing around).

* * *

**Kitchens Crash Course**

* * *

Occasionally, Dee would embark on a late night visit to the kitchens. During her first year of attending Hogwarts, Lee made it his duty to take her there (Merlin knows how he found it), and now it's become more of a habit than anything else to drop by and have a bite to eat.

The house-elves were lovely, as was the food. Plus Dee enjoyed the nighttime, along with the way the school looked and felt when it was dark, and considered the walk to the kitchens as a liberating one.

Tonight included one of those trips. Dee started on out the route she could walk in her sleep (which, for all she knew, she may have done so before), expecting the night to float along, but she was only halfway correct.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

"Miss Dee!" squeaked Gilley. "Gilley is delighted to see you. What would Miss Dee like? Gilley will fetch miss anything."

"You wouldn't happen to have any pudding, would you, Gilley?" Dee asked after saying hello.

A few other house-elves scurried around, while Gilley responded, "Right away, miss! Is Master Lee coming?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think so. At least, not tonight, he isn't." Dee allowed Gilley to lead her to a small table in the back corner, and then took a seat. "Thanks, you guys!" she said when a dish of pudding slid in front of her. She hummed to herself as she began to eat. Drowsiness from the late hour was beginning to kick in, but Dee was going to leave soon anyways and kept awake.

"Master James!" Gilley exclaimed suddenly. Dee's head popped up and she saw James Potter scrambling through the entrance of the kitchens.

"Nice to see you, Gilley," James greeted.

"Who be this with Master James?" Wimble, another Hogwarts house-elf, voiced Dee's thoughts as she saw a blonde head of hair behind James.

"This is Beth."

_So that's Beth_, Dee thought. She'd have to point the girl out to Albus tomorrow.

Beth shyly smiled once James introduced her. "Do you mind getting us some butterbeers?" he asked.

The house-elves scuttled away. Beth turned to James and gushed, "They're positively adorable," in such a sickeningly sweet way. Dee don't have anything against Beth, but the way she said they were cute made her cringe. After all, house-elves weren't fluffy little Pygmy Puffs on bloody display for all to dote over.

There must be something in this pudding, for Dee's being extremely overdramatic. Or maybe it's a combination of the late hour and the sugar, but either way, she needs to quit spitting poison about others before it covers herself.

"Dee? What are you doing down here?"

Dee looked up at James, down at her spoon, and back up at James. "I'm eating."

Beth giggled and James cleared his throat. "I see that. What I meant was I don't think of you as someone who sneaks off to the kitchens."

"Well, most people don't. But please, carry on. I was just leaving, anyways." She brushed her hands off on her lap and stood up. "It was wonderful to see you, Gilley. I'll be back soon, alright?"

A chorus of, "Goodnight, Miss Dee!" followed her out of the kitchens. Dee sighed and set off towards Ravenclaw Tower.

Here's hoping Beth enjoys her first visit to the kitchens.

* * *

**Mail**

* * *

Sending and receiving letters (through owl post) was a regular occurrence at Hogwarts, along with the rest of the wizarding world.

This was no different in Dee Collins' life, nor in James Potter's. However, it was safe to say James' mail was a tad more interesting. He often heard about the undertakings of the Ministry from his parents, something which would make sense if applied to Dee's case too, but her parents never deemed fit to talk about their jobs. So while James got to discuss Aurors and special upcoming articles in the _Prophet_ and Quidditch matches with his mum and dad, Dee read tales about how a certain family member was faring and who visited when.

But by no means were Dee's letters less eagerly awaited than James'. For Dee, there was always the annual exception- a letter that brought completely unexpected news.

* * *

**James Potter**

* * *

_James,_

_ Your mum wants me to start off by warning you to stay out of trouble, but she knows that's impossible, so she really means for you to be careful and not get caught. The usual. We're both doing well. I've been busy at the Ministry helping with some of their new laws. You'd think after Voldemort was defeated, they'd jump on opportunities to change some of their policies and prejudices, but I guess not. It's all still a work in progress.  
Hope Quidditch practices are good. You'll have to tell me what the new players are like. Is it looking like a promising season.  
Try not to get too many detentions. I know lessons and homework are boring, and everyone loves a laugh, but believe me when I say it piles up. I'm not saying you should follow in Aunt Hermione's footsteps, but stay on top of things. And don't let girls distract you unless it's worth it.  
Speaking of, Al mentioned someone named Beth. Who's she? Whatever you do, don't take her to Madam Puddifoot's; I doubt you've been there before and it should stay that way. If she likes all things frilly and sweet, that's bloody great, but I know you don't; if I know you, you'll get bored.  
Anyways, don't take too long to reply. I want to hear about that Quidditch team._

_ -Dad_

James found it uncanny how his dad knew exactly what he was thinking (and worrying) about; this year's Gryffindor team was decent enough to win, Beth wasn't as much of a catch as he initially thought, and the homework he had this weekend still lay untouched. But instead of starting his essays, he went to work on his reply.

_Dad,_

_ You know me, I won't get caught. But if I do, don't let mum fret; I always have a backup plan. What can I say- I was born into the right family.  
Quidditch is looking better than I expected. We lost Alex Wood, which was a blow, but his friend Adam Middleton is a good replacement. And Trevor Cole is the new beater. That's it, really. Al, Lily, Fred, and Gwen Wood are still around.  
Beth is just a friend of mine. She's actually a lot like you described. But what happens at Madam Puddifoot's? Anyways, since Al mentioned Beth, you should ask him about Dee. Just a suggestion.  
Well I've got homework to do. You know, sometimes I wish I was a year younger, because I feel like Al has it easy. He gets loads of help from Rose; it's unfair._

_ -James_

Once James was satisfied with what he wrote down, he left for the Owlery. He spotted Beth talking to the Head Boy, Clive Donoghue, as he climbed through the portrait hole, and tried to avoid being noticed. After what he wrote to his father concerning her, James felt a bit guilty and wanted to leave uninterrupted.

After narrowly escaping Peeves' ruckus (and the wrath of Augustus Purge, the caretaker, who was never far behind) thanks to a tip-off from Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost, James entered the Owlery. As it was afternoon on a Saturday, he didn't think anyone else would be around, but there stood someone vaguely familiar facing one of the windows. He didn't say hello as he attempted to coax Snuffles (his trusty Snowy owl, whom he shared with Al and named after his father's godfather), thinking mindless chat was unnecessary. James tied his letter to Snuffles' leg and then watched as he took off into the cloudy sky.

"Hi, James," said a voice. James whirled around to find Dee Collins, one of Al's friends, smiling uncertainly at him. "I thought it was you. What brings you here?" she asked.

"Just sending a letter to my dad," he responded. Since small talk was now inevitable, he asked, "How about you?"

"Oh," she stammered, visibly tensing. "Me too."

Her reaction to his simple question struck James as odd, so he made a mental note to ask her some other time. He was sure he'd run into her again at some point.

"I guess I'll see you around, then," he said, turning and setting off for his dormitory, where he knew books and parchment were stacked waiting for him.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

Dee was searching for Lee, although she was certain even he wouldn't fully understand what the hell she was feeling. Earlier in the day, Dee had received a letter from her mother saying her Aunt Mattie, officially Matilda, had left without leaving anything behind. There was no note of where she went, not a single possession left in her flat. This information alone wouldn't be all too alarming, except she left (disappeared?) almost two months ago. _We didn't want to tell you before because we knew you'd worry_, her mum wrote, _and what if it had just been an unannounced holiday? But I know you were really close to Matilda and I promise we'll keep you updated_. Dee didn't like the way she wrote, as if Aunt Mattie was no more. She couldn't be; Dee wouldn't allow it.

So after sending a hasty reply, she looked for Lee. He wasn't nearly as close to their aunt as Dee was, but he could comfort her; he always could.

Dee found her brother on the Quidditch pitch. He was the only one, but she knew his team wasn't far behind. "Lee!" she called, jogging closer.

"Dee? What're you doing here?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you. It's about-"

"Dee, you know practice is about to start? I can't talk right now," Lee said. Dee was afraid of that. "I'm sorry. Look, I'm free after dinner. I promise. But right now I've got to go."

Lee ran back to where the rest of his team stood together. He turned to cast a concerned glance back at her before kicking up into the air, but Dee was already gone.

* * *

She ran into Albus in the corridor. Not paying a bit of attention to where she was going, Dee turned a corner and he was right there. Al noticed her anxious expression and asked what was wrong. At first, Dee wouldn't budge, but being the caring friend he was, Albus pushed her until she spilled.

Dee really appreciated Albus. He knew just how to hold her, when to speak, and when to stay silent. He even lent his shoulder to cry on, and then laughed about how completely cliché the action was.

He sat with her at the Ravenclaw table when dinner came, earning curious glances and a couple of whispered conversations. Albus sat across from Dee and told her stories of when he was little, like she had done previously. Dee laughed a lot, truly enjoying herself. She felt giddy, content, relieved, happy, and very much alive. She couldn't believe she hadn't become his friend before; she had been missing out. And the little bubble of anxiety towards her aunt's disappearance seemed far less prominent whilst they ate and talked and laughed.

* * *

**Duty Calls**

* * *

Dee was one of the six Ravenclaw Prefects, but considering how there would obviously have to be five others, she hardly knew any them. She knew their names, of course, and at least the outermost shell of their personalities (being the categorized quiet girl involves much alone time, and some people are just too easy to figure out), but it stopped there. Prefect duty would be the ideal time to, in the simplest terms, make friends, but she didn't jump on the opportunity.

But because she doesn't initiate and ice-breaking, someone else the chance to do just so. It's just a matter of who, what, when, where, and why.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

Usually, Prefects would do their rounds with their counterpart, meaning both the boy and girl Prefect in the same year and House would patrol around together. This would mean Dee and Alfie Bell were partnered up, which they were, but it suffices to say they didn't particularly know each other (even after a fair few nights of rounds).

"Nice night," Alfie commented.

Dee hoped he wouldn't expect her to respond to his statement about the weather (of all things!), because it was terribly lame. She kept her lips pressed together and paid no attention as he went on. She felt uncharacteristically on edge. She scanned the corridor, wary of the shadows flickering against the walls that greatly resembled her childhood nightmares. Not that they were still nightmares of hers, but the sight was jarring nonetheless.

"So, how are you?" he asked, jerking Dee back to reality.

"I've been better, but to be fair, I've also been worse," she said in reply.

"Interestingly put," he noted. "Are you-"

Dee thought she heard a third pair of echoing footsteps, and cut Alfie off.

"Do you hear that?"

The footsteps grew much closer, and Dee drew her wand. She knew she was probably being silly- it could just be a student trying to sneak away unnoticed- but there was no stopping the millions of dangerous scenarios that ran through Dee's head.

"Aha! There you are!" It was Clive. "I've come to check up on how the two of you are doing."

Dee and Alfie shared a baffled look; Clive never does things like this. Either something had gone extremely wrong, or Clive was off his rocker.

"What have you got that out for?" he asked. Dee hastily stowed away her wand, flustered. "Well then. Has anything been causing you trouble?"

"No," Alfie said, still sharing nervous glances with Dee.

"Good, good. Then I think you're free to back to your dormitories," Clive announced with a dazzling smile. As they made to walk away, quite perplexed, Clive added, "Oh, Dee, could I have a word?"

She nudged Alfie so he would continue to Ravenclaw Tower and hung back, wondering what Clive could possibly have to say to her that couldn't be spoken in front of another student. "Yes?" she prompted.

"How would you feel," he began, stepping towards her, "about going to Hogsmeade together?" His face was unnaturally close. "You know the first trip is coming up, don't you?"

"Um, yeah, I knew that," she said, sounding almost strangled from holding her breath. Clive's breath smelled like the dinner that night and it wasn't pleasant, especially when fanned across her face. "I was actually, uh," she stumbled, "planning to go with Rose and, um, Albus." Dee wasn't sure why she was turning down Clive Donoghue, of all people.

"I see." He stood up straight (Dee hadn't even realized he was leaning down towards her) and she immediately took a step back. Sharply, and almost as an afterthought, he said, "Goodnight."

Dee wasted no time in following Alfie's path. Bloody hell, that was_ odd_.

* * *

**A/N:** Your reaction to the first chapter was totally unexpected and I love you all. The reviews and follows and favorites.. I just.. Thank you, and I hope this second update was up to your expectations! Please check out my fanfic blog and 8tracks: .com and coraljules! Peace out girl scout \m/


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** kljhsdjfhgsk I love you guys. Hopefully this chapter is worth reading… Now, I've realized there's a lot that goes on in these chapters AND many, many characters (and the way I write this story with separate little scenes probably doesn't help) so if you visit my fics blog, .com, it might help. I post character maps and family trees, I'll answer any questions you may have, and I may even post spoilers (if you want them, I mean). So yeah, pay me a visit maybe?

**Disclaimer:** Like I've already said, not all of this is truly mine. If I owned the Harry Potter universe/world/galaxy, I probably wouldn't have killed Sirius or Dobby or Lupin or Tonks and so on, for the sake of saving tears, but I don't. So that's what this disclaimer is for: I don't own the original stuff. But I guess I do have a say in what my characters (like Dee and Lee) do, so in that case, they're mine. Back off (lol nah I'm only messing around).

* * *

**Gossip Columnists**

* * *

Every corner, windowsill, bed sheet, shoelace, and quill held secrets, and it seemed the students of Hogwarts made it their mission to learn them. Corridors buzzed with conversations of who dumped who, who hexed who, who snogged who, and so on. The girls' toilets were ideal spots to hastily pass on a new rumor, fresh off the press, to a friend in between lessons. Gossip was unavoidable; gossip was inevitable.

Dee didn't care to fill precious brain storage with useless tales, so she was often horribly out of the loop. She would occasionally catch snippets of her roommates' conversations, and would be quite annoyed with the ridiculousness and indecency of some of her peers.

Dee (obviously) despised gossip, rumors, and lies (unless it was harmless; that was fine).

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

"So," Rose said, falling in step besides Dee, the two walking through the corridor on the way to Charms, "I've been hearing things."

"Oh?" Dee inquired. "Should I have Professor Longbottom refer you to St. Mungo's?"

Rose rolled her eyes in a very Rose-like fashion, but the corners of her mouth quirked up and Dee felt sheepishly proud of her retort. "According to Sav Malladi," she dramatically began, and Dee couldn't help but wonder what Savitri Malladi could possibly have to say that concerned her, "Corner's been asking about you."

"Oh?" Dee repeated, but this time with more caution than humor.

Then Rose asked thoughtfully, "Didn't you date him?"

"Well, yes, but how'd you know that?" Dee didn't think her distressingly small love life was a deserving source of interest for the Hogwarts student body. She wouldn't expect the likes of Rose Weasley to know who she has and hasn't dated; there were far better things to spend time dwelling over, which was why she was taken aback at Rose's reply.

"People talked about it," she said, as if it were obvious. "Mostly, they just said he's a tosser and you were bloody brave to put up with him. Others said you were lucky to escape when you did. But anyways, Sav said she overheard Corner asking the Scamander twins if they'd spoken to you recently. She thought it was odd seeing them together, since Lorcan thinks he's an absolute knob, so she listened in and reckons he's going after you again." By no they'd reached the Charms classroom, but Rose took a moment to consider Dee's stunned expression (and to breather, because she had said so much in such a short time frame). "I just thought I'd let you know."

Watching her friend's ginger hair swish from side to side as she strode into the room, Dee came to conclusion: Rose Weasley had a soft spot for gossip.

* * *

**Backbone (or lack of)**

* * *

Dee was never one to intentionally cause conflict. In fact, if it were up to her, she'd take the blame for pesky little problems, just to save others from unnecessary arguments and hurt. But when it came to her own issues, she preferred to wait them out; if she avoided an issue long enough, it'd blow over. Doing so had worked up until now, so it only made sense to keep at it.

Occasionally she'd pluck up the courage to talk about something that'd been worrying her, to stand up to someone who'd been a prick and tell them to sod off, but if she lost the chance or momentum, it wasn't happening again soon.

What Dee didn't realize (or maybe she did, but just didn't enjoy acknowledging it) was the fact that some people took advantage of her passive outlook. They used her to feel higher and mightier; they subtly insulted her, but knew she wouldn't speak against them, because it would only cause more unwanted drama.

In more ways than one, Dee harbored the blueprints of her own demise.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

"Dee."

Lee was relentlessly pestering Dee. He wanted to properly apologize for when he left her for Quidditch practice, Dee was sure, because they hadn't seen each other since, but she wasn't giving him the time of day (partially because he was being extremely aggravating and partially because it was too bloody early for Dee to be dealing with anything remotely important).

"Dee," he repeated, growing more exasperated with every second.

She stared so intently at her breakfast that she began seeing double, chewing her food more forcefully than necessary. His nagging and her disregard continued until Dee finished her breakfast and trudged out of the Great Hall, Lee only a step behind. Once they were well out of earshot, and once she sent a warning glare to Albus, who was standing by the entrance, she rounded on Lee.

"What do you want?" she asked, even though she had a very good idea of what he wanted.

"I want to apologize." She didn't respond. "I'm sorry. You came to me, you needed me, but I wasn't available. I'm _sorry_," he stressed. Dee's shoulders slumped and her arms began to unravel from their crossed state, but Lee's resolve suddenly grew stronger. "But you know how important Quidditch is to me. Not as important as family," he responded to her unasked question, "but I couldn't just leave my team. And you know, I told you I was free afterwards, but you never came to find me."

Dee didn't exactly want to hear what he was saying; she knew he was right. She tried making eye contact with Albus, but he was now caught up in a conversation with James. "Can we talk about this later?" she mumbled.

"What? No," Lee exclaimed. "We've got time now, and we're going to use it. Dee, you never talk to me about yourself. I don't think this is just about the other night anymore. This is about-"

But Dee didn't get to find out what he thought their conversation was about, because they were rudely interrupted.

"What's going on?" James Potter asked, trying (and succeeding, in Dee's opinion) to appear threatening. Albus tugged on Dee's elbow and increased the distance between her and her brother. "I don't take kindly to pricks that scare their sisters, Collins, and for a second, that looked bloody similar to what was going on."

Lee set his jaw and straightened his stance. "You don't have a clue what was going on, Potter, nor do you have a right to know," he almost snarled.

"If it involves one of my friends, I think I have a right."

As touched as Dee was by James declaration of the two being friends (considering they'd only talked a few times), she thought he was being stupid. "Potter," she said. When his gaze snapped to hers, she continued. "Enough with the Gryffindor pride. Lee wasn't threatening me, and even if he was," she raised her eyebrows, "I don't see how that's of your concern."

While her words seemed to have a decent effect, neither of the boys backed away; they were almost nose-to-nose.

* * *

**James Potter**

* * *

James noticed the way she was standing, arms tightly crossed and legs about shoulder width apart, as if Dee were guarding or bracing herself. He didn't like it.

With Albus' protests barely processing, James stalked over to where the siblings were conversing. "What's going on?" he asked. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Al pulling Dee away from her brother, but most of his attention was focused on the weasel that was Lee Collins. "I don't take kindly to pricks who scare their sisters, Collins, and for a second, that looked bloody similar to what was going on," James flared.

"You don't have a clue what was going on, nor do you have a right to know," Lee snapped.

"If it involves one of my friends, I think I have a right." James didn't fully understand why he felt so strongly. It's not like he'd never argued with his own family. What about this was different, besides the people involved?

James glanced at Dee. She had a weird expression on her face; it seemed she was conflicted between gratitude and outrage. "Potter," she said. "Enough with the Gryffindor pride. Lee wasn't threatening me, and even if he was," she raised her eyebrows, "I don't see how that's of your concern."

Her words somersaulted around his head before sinking in. James still didn't move, but he was losing his fire. After a few more moments, though, he stepped away, having decided picking a fight with Lee Collins was useless.

But if there was one thing James could take away from this scene, it'd be the satisfaction he felt while hearing Dee speak up against him. She wasn't putting up with him, she disagreed with dignity, and strangely enough, he liked it.

* * *

James was lounging in the Gryffindor Common Room with a book and a roll of parchment in his lap, occupying a squashy seat close to the blazing fire and across from Fred Weasley, who was eyeing a group of girls giggling in the corner.

"What do you think they're giggling about?" he asked.

Before James had a chance to come up with a reply, Roxanne Weasley said to her brother, "They're laughing about the gaping hole in your trousers."

Fred uttered a noise of disbelief, but he looked down to examine his trousers anyways. "Oh, sod off," he grumbled to Roxanne when he realized she was messing with him.

James ignored the rest of their conversation and tried to refocus on his Transfiguration essay. Because Transfiguration was one of his better classes, the essay itself wasn't causing too much grief, but there were so many distractions that James couldn't hold on to his train of thought.

"James."

It was Albus. James wasn't in the mood to see his brother, especially after mildly embarrassing himself outside the Great Hall after breakfast. "Al," he said, not tearing his eyes from his writing.

"James," Albus repeated, more firmly.

He looked up. Al's face held an unimpressed expression and James sighed. "Yes?"

"I want to talk to you." James followed him to the opposite end of the common room, where he waited for Albus to speak again. "About this morning," Al began, and James huffed. "No, listen. I appreciate you sticking up for her, but she had it covered." Al sighed. "Look, Collins really wasn't threatening her, he was apologizing. The other day, Dee received a letter from her mum saying her aunt's gone missing. Dee felt horrible, so she went to find Lee, but he was busy and wouldn't stop to talk to her. That's all." James rolled his eyes, but had to admit the story was reasonable enough. He could tell Al wasn't lying.

"Is that all?" James asked. "I've got essays to write."

"I guess," Al replied, and when James turned to leave, he added, "I just... Don't be a prat to Collins; he doesn't really deserve it."

James made a face, gathered his books and parchment and quills, and exited through the portrait hole. The noise in the common room had started to drive him insane, as had the amount of family members who felt it necessary to ask for his opinion on every argument, so James had left. He searched for solitude, which he found in the library. But despite the almost complete silence, he couldn't concentrate. _Collins doesn't deserve it, my arse,_ he thought.

* * *

**Dee Collins**

* * *

Dee realized she's been seeing less and less of her roommates as term went on. She wasn't sure if it was because they weren't in Ravenclaw Tower as often as before, or if Dee herself wasn't.

The realization of the answer to this question hit her in the corridor on the day after Halloween. She was in the middle of a conversation with Rose when suddenly, she stopped walking.

"Dee? Is something wrong?" Rose called, alarm and confusion flitting across her face.

Last year, last term even, Dee didn't have half the friends she had this term. Rose and Albus didn't know her, let alone talk to her. It wasn't until the previous night, during the Halloween feast, that Dee realized she was "coming out of her shell", to quote her mother.

It's not that Dee didn't used to have friends. She got along with her roommates, the Scamander twins, all her past Potions partners, and so on, but the more she thought about it, the more Dee recognized that none of them went out of their way to simply talk to her.

"Everything's fine," Dee replied. "Look, do you think we could go to Gryffindor Tower instead? I'd quite like a change of scenery."

Rose blinked, surprised. "Of course."

They resumed walking, but in silence. Dee felt elated, a new spring in her step. She even laughed at the password to enter the Gryffindor Common Room (Blibbering Humdinger, which Rose explained was the result of a bet between some of the seventh years, including the Head Boy), instead of worrying what other Gryffindor's would think of a Ravenclaw in their Tower. The portrait of the Fat Lady shot her a skeptical look but swung forward all the same, and Dee followed Rose into a reasonably crowded, cozy, circular room. Her eyes trailed over many tables, tapestries, and chairs, until she realized Rose was already a ways away, by a fire, chatting with some of her family.

Albus caught Dee's eye and grinned. "Look who it is!" he exclaimed, wrapping her in an overly affectionate hug. "How adventurous of you, braving the Gryffindor Tower."

"Shut up," Dee, embarrassed, mumbled.

"Would you like a trophy for this achievement? I'm sure Fred or James could nick one from the Trophy Room," Al continued to tease.

"Quit taking the mickey," Dee groaned, "and let me go!"

"I'm only joking, Dee," Al smiled. "Come on, I've got a bet to win, and I'm sure my family would love to meet you."

He dragged Dee to the armchairs by the fire, where most of the Weasley clan sat. Rose was now sharing a seat with Roxanne, James and Molly each had their own, Al took a seat at Lily's feet, and Fred was glaring at Hugo from the other side of a Wizard's chessboard. Dee sat on the floor next to Albus and asked, "Does the bet you mentioned have anything to do with who wins that chess match?"

Al's grin returned and he nodded. "I've got three galleons on Hugo."

"He's going to win," Rose pitched in from Dee's other side. "Roxanne," she nudged her cousin, "this is Dee."

Roxanne tore her gaze from the chess match and regarded Dee. "You're Lee Collins' sister, right?" Dee nodded. "Huh. She smiled pleasantly and turned away. Dee wasn't quite sure what to think.

"Dee!" It was James, two chairs down.

"Hi, James," Dee replied, an unsteady and sheepish smile forming at her lips.

"How're things?" he asked, ignoring the curious glances from his cousins and brother.

Dee, who didn't miss those glances and also didn't ignore them, averted her eyes and mumbled, "Things are fine."

"Good. Listen, I want to apologize for how I acted the last week."

She cleared her throat and silently thanked Al and his sister for possessing the decency to seem tremendously interested in the ongoing chess match. "It's not a big deal, you really-"

"I don't know you well, and I was out of line," he continued.

"James. Potter, or whatever," she stammered, struggling to get a word in. "You don't need to apologize. Really."

"Sure I do. I've got to be a gentleman, don't I?"

Dee noticed a glint in his eye, but thought for sure she was mistaken. James Potter would never joke with her, Dee Collins, Lee Collins' sister. But nevertheless, she liked it; in that moment, Dee realized, she liked him. "Well you see, I've heard chivalry is dead," she said. "But please, do carry on."

Then he grinned, and Al shot her a wink, and she laughed, embracing the truly _nice_ feeling spreading from her head to her toes.

* * *

**A/N: **soooooooo was that acceptable? lemme know! oh and um idk when ill update this next bc tbh ive been doing a good job of keep this updated (compared to other stories i write) and i should probably quit putting those off... but i'll bust my butt if you want me to :) THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE ILYSM


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